Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125789
. > ... ~ ~ w Z w There ue at least 32 methods of slMting being tested in there. Scrambles and Some Drag Racing g By Andre Ney CARLSBAD, CAL., June 25, 1972 - In an effort to keep the summer loafing desert riden of Dist. 38 in condition, the Brush Barons held a European Scrambles at Carlsbad Raceway. It was a surprised drag race fan who today saw 100 motorcycles drag off the line going the opposite way. Tum into the pits and race up the hills. A 2.5 mile coune was laid out around the drag strip. The drags run east, so the bikes went west. From there it was a series of hairpin curves, up and down hills and through a real mud hole The dances the riders did in the mud would start a new DISTRICT 37 S C R A M B L E S - - - - - - - - - - - - By Ed Drechsler ADELANTO, CAL., June 25, 1972 Today was John Sandona's last ride as a Heavyweight Novice. He did an excellent job of smoking the troops while winning the 500 Novice class. John seriously claims that he had applied for a Junior license, but was forced to ride as a Novice to "prove that he had the ability". He proved that with his win today, added to his past unbeaten record. The Heavyweigh ts rode qualifying heats and Main even ts as' the tumou t was very light. Scott Smith finished last in his heat which put him on the second row in the Main. From last to first zaap. Scott also zapped them in the 125 class after Brian King lost a chamber. Kirk Redding (who last week was erroneously reported to have finished second, but really won the event) closely pursued Scott for several laps, bu t tmally lost out to the Class "c" traction on John Sprague's Open Triumph. Sprague also managed to win the Sweepstakes race, Before that, he won the 250 Expert class, Can't win them all,John. Exhibitions of sportsmanship were evideo t throughout the day as riders showed obvious concern for the righ ts of their fellow riden. The views were lovely as the Pit Tootsies were out in force, and the weather was good. It was that kind of day. Three of the Side Hac.k Association came out to race, but were forced to retire as an insufficient number of hacks was present to form a class. Pity. Would have been fun. Rick Hutchins, that 250 Harley-Davidson Sprint rider who rides Bultacos sometimes, had lotsa problems with a slick tum and ended up third. I have never seen a tum attacked so many ways, and all of them wrong. craze. There were very few real straights except for the strip. The fint race started at 9: 00 am (Poster said 8:00) with all of the Experts and Powder Puffs (100 in all). Just out of the pit area there was lots of congestion I as not only did the course narrow, but many surprised riders found the hairpins were not that fast, then the surprise mud hole. Cliff Matlock (Suz) grabbed the early lead only to have. Bill Reams take it away three q~arters of the way through the first lap. Bill held the lead for seven laps when his bike put him in the pits Around the Campfire. Last weekend I was at the fmish line when Sharon Rosenauer came along. I just happened to glance at her rear fender and nearly fell down laughing. Sharon has a 'Sweet Duck' sticker on her Suzuki and it is one of the funniest logos I have ever seen. 'If you get a chance, saunter up to Sher and sneak a peek at her ·duck. Speaking of ducks, what ever happened to the world's most publicized Novice, Wally Weatherwax of the Desert Ducks M.C., or, for that matter, where are the Desert Ducks? Was he the only member of that club? Golly, Wally was well-billed las( year, but this year we haven't heard a quack from him. Rumor has it that last year's number 24 Expert, Larry Mahoney, who probably ranks with Mert Lawwill in runs of sheer bad luck, has gone straigh t on us. He is said to have sold his truck, his Montesa, cui his hair and was last seen wearing a business suit and driving a station wagon ...Mahoney, was that really you? The hurray of the day goes to Bill Ballance of radio station KGBS. Bill is on the air from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a talk show called Feminine Forum. Recently Bill stated, on the air, th·at, "I like people who ride motorcycles. They are heads up people who see things the way they are and won't listen to any bull." That may not be exactly vematum as I was driving at the time and couldn't write it down, but that is the gist of his speech. I really hate the name of this column. Would like to re-name it with your help. Something desert-oriented, but with class. Whichever of you comes up with the grabbiest name will win a year's subscription to Cycle News. Send your title, along with your name and address to "Alice" at Cycle News and I'll read 'em all and announce the winner righ t here in the next couple of weeks. Come on desert fans, I really need help on URA Enduro .....;. hUn. ~.t~ The course was so wiele that there were trees growl", In the middle of it. By Alice Rhea this! p.s. 1 am buying the subscripti unless somebody in management re this and takes pity on. a poor, s!arvin writer and offers to donate to th cause ...or maybe they hate the title much as 1 do and would be happy t give somebody a subscription just to ge rid of it. The man from BLM was out at th , last desert race. He uttered, "Nobod has' done anything wrong yet..." " .. .1 wait until 1 see what the desert 100 like after you all leave." N0w my practice has been to pick u all the litter in our camp area, includin rusty cans. Not that I'm a neatnic 0 goodie-two-shoes, but I am aware th "They" are just waiting like a bunch 0 vultures to pounce on us for any lit thing that is wrong with the desert. Please join with me in my camp . to leave desert race areas cleaner th they were when we arrived. Psst... that includes taking down th pie-plates you put up so the rest of yo club members could find you. Yo know, having your name on a pie-pla dangling in. the breeze three weeks aft the race does nothing to enhance th reputation of your club. Watch number 1488x. I know man of you have seen that huge number fl by and wondered how somebody th new to desert racing could (a) be Expert already and (b) ride that fast That number belongs to Jim FOOb (250 CZ), a motocrosser recentl converted to the desert. Jim says h really digs the desert, so I guess we'll b seeing a lot of him,' and fast. He' already won a couple overalls. Also watch 62t Rudy Abele, an Amateur riding a Baja. Rudy was a fast Novice when I fust met him, and he just keeps getting.faster. Then there's 279 Big John Moseley on a Husky. Well, when you are that big you gotta ride something that can handle it. Expect John to have his Expert stripe before long: _ By Joe Striss CALIFORNIA CITY, CAL., June 18, 1972 - Sum'mer is here - Temperatures got up to 100 and the Dust Devils were doing their thing out across the flats. One of them popped in at sign-up wanted to enter I guess, but they didn't know how to c~ass him, so he left, leaving a trail of entry forms behind ,-' long enough to keep the lead from him. Cliff never gave it up again. The riders strung out enough so that you could sit in one place and always see bikes go by. The racing was fierce for the 50 miles that meant 20 laps. At 12:08 the 250 and 175 Novices started their 20 laps. Steve Pollock (Suz) held the lead all the way even though he got a flat tire on the last lap. Next came the Open and 125 Novices and the Powder Puffs elected to go again. Craig Adams (Hus) led all the way. The lack of shape in the riders showed toward the end. , The biggest part of any event is the people, and there was some good people out here and they all did their part in making it a very successful enduro. Some 800 people camped in an area of about 20 acres. This group dug togetherness. URA offered two bonus points to the riders if they put th~ir camping neighbors name on the back of their scorecard. Maybe this is what the "United" Racing Association stands for. About 75% of the 370 starten also fmOOed, including quite a number of young 16 and under powder puffs. These gal. are turning in some impressive scores. Wonder if any will go on to the ISDT someday. Many thanks are due to the International Racing Radio Crew for doing a fine job of handling the communication system for control of the race. It proved its worth when Mike LaVoire got off hard when his fron t axle broke. A freak accident but nonetheless a broken leg came from it. At least he was in the ambulance and on his way to body repain within 20 minutes thanks to the fine efforts of the unknown rider who turned in the info at the number one check. It's the people who make an event. The course itself was two 30 mile loops of really good enduro riding. The course was well marked and well planned. Even though there were some good up and downhills and one narrow rocky canyon. There were no bottle necks. The checks were very well hidden. All in all it was a fun run for everybody. Abou t 10 "A" class riden showed up (there wasn't any district enduros this weekend). I spoke with some of them at the fmOO, they said that the run was very well planned and organized, the times and mileage were right on, speeds slow (for them) but a fun run.